Wire fabric and attaching means therefor.



' PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908.

M. W. FLOTO. WIRE FAB RIG AND ATTAGHING MEANS THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.11. 1907.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- -MATTHEW WMQ'FLOTO, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

.a citizenof the w ns mam Ann armcmne MEANS rrisnnroa. v

amperage.

To all whom "it may concern:

' .Be it knownthat-I, MATTHEW WM. FLoTo. United States, and a resident of the cityof Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Im roveinents in Wire Fabrics and Attaching eans Therefor; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marke thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wire cloth fabrics and attaching means therefor and more particularly to that class set forth in my prior ap lication for patent filed July 24,-1905; Seria No.*270,924.-

In constructing the bottoms of beds, couches, etc., it has been usually-customary kinds of springs in constructions are unnecessarily e pen'sive and are exceedingly difficult to repair. In some instances woven wire netting or a wire cloth fabric made of separable units has been employed and is fastened to the end and side a members of the spring frame. WVhere the :iof the fabricor springs and it therefore sags a fabric be fabric is thus-engaged to rigid side bars or rails there is, of course at all times a hard ridge, .alongeach side and for this reason said constructions have not heretofore been adaptable forcouches and davenports owing to the discomfort and fatigue caused by the rigid Furthermore in the construction prevent the occupant from lying on the edges of the bed and a considerable area for this reason cannot be utilized. Again where the sides of the fabric are yielding side bars the resiliency of the fabric is not evenly distributed over the entire area toward thecenter so that if more than one person occupies the bed both roll toward the middlei It is an object of this invention to provide members or bars are dis ensed with and which affords approximate y equal resiliency over the entire, area of the bottom'and in which the objections heretofore caused by sa ging are eliminated. is also an'objectofthis invention to rovide means whereby the fabric when use .for

ttom in which rigid unyielding side Specification of Letters Patent. Application file'd irmh 11.1907. Serial No. 861.657.

' assembled as engaged to rigid, un-. v

"fabric.

"therewith Patented Jan. 14, 1908.

acouch, davenport, etc, may be stiflened any desiredamount and in which the stifien' be quickly and easily inserted ing means may and removed. It is finally an object of this invention to reduce the number of.units and attaching parts to azminimumand to provide a construction so cheap to manufacture and-easily to be within the reach of all users."

The invention relates tothe matters hereinafter described and more fully pointed out and defined in'the ap ended claims.

.In thedrawings: *igure'l is a: plan view of a device embodying my invention with parts omitted. Fig.2 is an enlarged detail of one of the side units or members. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective detail of one of the intermediate units or members. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the hooks for securing the end of the fabric to the bar or frame. Fig. 5 is an enlarged per spective fragmentary, detail of one corner of the bottom. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail illustrating one method of stifi'ening the fabric.

As shown in said drawings: AA" indicate end bars or members of any suitable material which as shown are angle bars having the web directed downward and the flange inwardly. Engaged to said bars at approximately the same distance from each end is'a bracket 0 provided with an internally threaded socketa' to receive the longitudinal' tubular rods o The corresponding sockets on opposite end bars are 0 p0 sitely threaded and said tubular rods i ro tated in one'direction serve to tighten the ,The fabric comprises a plurality ofunits or spring members of which the intermediate units or members B, comprise a wire formed centrally to afford a spiral coil b, havingdivergent arms bb, ,each of which is provided with a hook N, at its outer end, the extremity of which is directed inwardly upon the arm and is then turned outwardly forming a rounded end. The hook of said intermediate units are engaged in the coils. .of the adjacent units and afford together sides. The outer arm of each unit or member B adjacent the sides is in sucha position that it does not engage a coil or loop of an I adjacent intermediate unit.

1 a solid network intermediate the Engaged to the intermediate units or members B at the sides of the fabric are unit or spring members C which each comprise a wiretwisted intermediate its ends to afford directed inwardly in the same general direc tion as the arm 0 and provided with a hook 0 As shown, the arm 0 engages the coil or 100 b of the intermediate units or members an the free arm b. of said members B engages the coil 0 as vdoes also the arm 0", of each side unit or member. structed the coils or loops 0; along each side of the fabric are in alinement. Secured through said alined loops 0 is a rod D of greater size and strength than the units and provided at each end with an eye adapted to engage one end of a helical pulling spring E, the opposite ends of which are engaged to the end bars or members A-A. The coils or loops bc of the units or members BC adjacent the bar or member A are secured thereto by means of fasteners F which are provided atone end with hooks f as before.

described and at the opposite end by a plain hook. The units or members B-'C adjacent the bar A are engaged thereto by means of fasteners G which as shown consist each of one piece of wire turned to form a coil 9 which is engaged by the hooks at the ends of said members or units B0 and the opposite end of said fastener G is bent to engage suitable aperture") in the angle bar A.

The operation is as follows: The fabric is very quickly and easily assembled and by the use of the novel units or members 0 and the hook G, the use of a great number of independent coils and. half unit members is obviated. The fabric so constructed affords uniform resiliency over the entire area and does not draw from the sides or tend to sag at the middle when occupied. Furthermore there being no side rail a soft edge is assured and the bed is comfortable to its edge either for a seat or as a bed. Should the edge prove too soft or resilient it may be stiffened by increasing the stren th of the springs E or strong wires or rods Tl may be employed which are provided at each end with a hook similar to the hook I) or before described and which engage the longitudinally alined coils or loop I) or c of said units or members B(J;next adjacent the "rod 1), of course more than one line of such rods or wires may be employed if desired and helical springs in that case may be substituted in lieu of the hook f or G in such strengthened line. Said connecting rods a may also be employed to' When thus con tighten the fabric and of course the sockets may be of sufficient depth to admit of considerable lengthenin of the bed.

The unit or mem%er C may be' modified to form a spring hook to engage the rod D if preferred and various modifications in the construction may be made. I therefore do not limit this application as to details, as

obviously they may be varied without deloops and means yieldingly engaging t e ends A of said rods to said end bars.

2. The combination with end bars of resilient rods connecting corresponding ends, side units or members each provided with a loop to engage the respective rod, intermediate spring units or members engaged to said side units or members and to each other and all of said members having integral coils and hooks, fasteners engaging the coils at one end of the fabric thusformed with. one of said bars and members engaging the fabric at the; opposite end to the adjacent end bar having coils to receive the hooks of 'the side and intermediate members and a 'hook to engage the bar.

3. A wire fabric composedof intermediate spring units or members comprising a wire twisted to afford a spring coil and 1ntegral diverging arms each having a hook at its extremity adapted to engage the coils of an adjacent unit or member, side units or members engaged to the adjacent interme diate units or members comprisin twisted to form a spring coil, arms iver ing therefrom, one of said arms affording a oop intermediate said coil and the extremit thereof and a hook at the extremity of eac arm.- i

4. As an article of manufacture a'spring unit or member comprising a wire or re a wire,

adapted to afford a spring coil intermediate shaped to afford a resilient coil, diverging arms integral therewith, a loop formed by one arm intermediate said coil andextremity and a spring hook formed at the extremity of each arm.

' toward one en 6. As an article of manufacture a spring unit or member composed of a w re or rod shapedto afford acoil, an arm extending tangentially from the afford'a loop directed at an angle with the coil at approximately its middle, the outer end of said arm directed at an angle with its inner end, an arm integral with the coil and extending parallel with the outer end of the aforesaid arm and hooks formed at the extremity of each arm.

7. In combination with em] bars fabric comprising units or members to be engaged to each other having coils directed toward one bar and hooks directed toward the other, a rod engaged to the members along each side of the fabric, a spring connecting each end of the rod with the end bars, fasteners connecting the bar and the unit members at one end comprising a wire ea' rire having spring hooks, means securing the fabric to the opposite bar comprising a wire having an-integral coil at one end and books at the opposite end, and means adapted to engage said unit members to stillen the fabric.

8. In a device of the class described the combination with end bars, of a wire fabric comprising units or members each having a coil and divergent arms integral with the coil, a hook on the end of each arni, said members arran ed so that the coil is directed a bar and the hooks toward the opposite end, bar, means connecting the end coils with the end bar and means connecting the hooks and the adjacent bar comprisi a-wire twisted to form a coil to engage t e hook s'and provided with forwardly directed arms each bent to form a hook at its outer end to engage the bar.

9. In a fabric of the class described the combination with intermediate unit members, each having a coil and diverging arms, side units or members each having coil and diverging arms, one of which is provided with a loop, said loops in all of the side members. being in alincment, and a rod or wire havin sring hooks at each end to engage the coils in the intermediate and side units or members.

coil and twisted to.

.0. The combination with end bars of rods ad ustably connecting the same, a wire 'l'abric comprising-members each having a coil and hooks and the coils directed toward cm! at one end to engage the book of the aforesaid members and a hooked end. to engage the adjacent bar.

ll. A wire fabric comprising intermediate members each comprising a coil, divergent arms integral therewith, a hook on each arm, side units or members comprising a coil, di verging arms engaged thereto, one provided with a loop directed at an angle with said coil and. the end thereof directed parallel with the other arm and means engaging said loops on the side members lirmlv holding the same equal distances apart and means engaging said fabric to a support.

12. A bed bottom having non-rigid side bars and rigid end bars of lower adjustable tension rods connecting the end bars, a spring fabric engaged on said end bars and comprising separable spring side and inter mediate units, of which the intermediate units comprise a wire having a spring coil and diverging arm and the side units comprise a wire having a coil and diverging arms of unequal length the longer arm of which is provided with a loop directed transversely 'of. the coil, books at the extremity o'l each arm, a rod yieldinglv engaged at its ends on the end bars at each side the fabric and to which the side units are means of the loops.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MATTHEW WM. FLOTO.

vieldin l en a ed b c D 3 F D Witnesses:

K. E. HANNAH, J. W. ANGELL. 

